Greenberg & Grimes: Wiener as King Ignores Federal Supremacy

We watched President Donald Trump’s 79th birthday celebration and military parade in Washington, D.C., and also observed the “No Kings” protests in 2,000 cities across the country all weekend – the good, the bad, and the ugly. Protests in California turned ugly in Los Angeles and San Francisco; Utah had a fatal shooting; a car ramming happened in Virginia; and officers were injured at an ICE facility in Portland – just what we know of at this point.

This is all being fomented and paid for by billionaire oligarchs and the professional protesting class.

The protests were appropriately named “No Kings,” but not because America is an oppressor as protestors would have you believe, but because America is great and never had a king. The protesters should have observed that it is today’s military and the original Continental Army that guaranteed America has not had a king, and will not have one. That is because of the original American Colonial Army, and President Trump’s celebrating the 250th birthday of the U.S. Army.

Protestors should have been celebrating the “No Kings” protests and hailed the U.S. military, but they’re too ignorant, and don’t know enough American history to understand why.

As Lance Izumi, Senior Director of the Center for Education at the Pacific Research Institute, observes, “While politicians like Gavin Newsom make headlines spouting off on television, the real longer lasting impact of the ‘No Kings’ protests on ordinary families lies in one of the major funders and organizers of the protests—the teachers unions. For example, the American Federation of Teachers has an entire webpage of volunteer opportunities for its members for the protests. Parents should be appalled that their children’s teachers could be pushing a radical partisan agenda. Classrooms across America are already infiltrated with ideological indoctrination, and the No Kings protests will only ratchet up that political bias. When children go back to school in the fall parents need to be extra vigilant and alert to what their children are being taught.”

Indeed. California public schools are teaching Marxism to children.

Having to suffer through Gavin Newsom‘s illiterate rant about President Trump’s  “authoritarianism,” blah, blah blah, and then thoroughly enjoying Thomas Sowell’s rebuke of Newsom, really highlights the Governor’s shallowness and unfamiliarity with law and California history. (Enjoy Sowell’s rebuke, immensely)

Onto California Kings

California State Senators Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) and Jesse Arreguin (D-Berkeley) are the authors of SB 627, the “No Secret Police Act” to prohibit law enforcement at all levels from covering their faces while conducting operations in the state of California, the Globe reported Monday.

Can you just imagine if Gavin Newsom was at the helm of America, currently involved in the current Israel/Iran conflict, much less California’s own citywide conflicts?

Imagine how that would have played out this past weekend as riots got really violent.

Irony: ‘Wiener as King

California State Senator Scott Wiener’s vocal defense of state’s rights while simultaneously acting with an air of unchecked authority, creates a contradiction that’s hard to reconcile. His behavior—demanding state autonomy while projecting a domineering, king-like regal attitude from his throne in Sacramento— raises eyebrows because it undermines the principles of federalism and the democracy he claims to champion. Here’s why this is a head-scratcher:

Wiener fiercely defends California’s sovereignty, especially against federal policies under Trump, like immigration enforcement (e.g., SB 54 sanctuary state law) or environmental rollbacks. He argues California has the right to set its own course on issues like housing, climate, and social policy, citing the 10th Amendment’s reservation of powers to states.

Yet, Wiener’s rhetoric and actions often exude an imperious tone, as if he’s above critique or compromise. For example, his dismissive responses to opponents on zoning reforms (e.g., SB 50) or his social media spats—calling critics “NIMBYs” or worse—suggest a ruler decreeing policy rather than a senator engaging constituents. His insistence on California’s moral superiority over federal authority can feel like a monarch asserting divine right, not a legislator respecting shared governance.

The Contradiction

Federalism requires humility—acknowledging both state and federal roles within a balanced system. Wiener’s state’s rights crusade loses credibility when he acts like a sovereign who answers to no one, not even Californians who disagree with him. His “white supremacy” critiques of federal policies (e.g., Trump’s border wall) often sidestep substantive federalism debates, opting for inflammatory rhetoric that shuts down dialogue. This kingly demeanor—demanding loyalty to his vision of California—clashes with the collaborative spirit needed for state’s rights to be a principled stand.

Why It’s Confusing

A state senator championing state autonomy should model democratic accountability, not act like he’s ruling a fiefdom. Wiener’s refusal to engage critics constructively or admit federal authority’s legitimacy (when it suits him) makes his state’s rights stance seem less about constitutional balance and more about personal power or political optics.

Should Legislative Democrats, public servants, be identifiable when they’re on official state business, and wear name tags just like they want for law enforcement?

We appreciated former Gubernatorial candidate John Cox’s proposal to require politicians to wear the patches of their sponsors.

Richie Greenberg is a long-time San Francisco resident, political commentator and former Republican candidate for mayor. He was founder of and media spokesman for the recall of DA Chesa Boudin. Follow him on X/Twitter @greenbergnation and www.richiegreenberg.org